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Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Vatican City, 5 May 2015 (VIS) – This
morning in the Holy See Press Office, Archbishop Salvatore
Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New
Evangelisation, and Msgr. Graham Bell presented the Extraordinary
Jubilee of Mercy (8 December 2015 to 20 November 2016).

The archbishop began, “The Apostolic
Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, which continues be the programmatic
outline for the pontificate of Pope Francis, offers a meaningful
expression of the very essence of the Extraordinary Jubilee announced
on April 11: 'Such a community [the Church] has an endless desire to
show mercy, the fruit of its own experience of the power of the
Father’s infinite mercy. Let us try a little harder to take the
first step and to become involved'. It is with this desire in mind
that we should re-read the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee,
Misericordiae vultus, in which Pope Francis details the aims of the
Holy Year. As you know, the two dates already marked out are December
8,the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – the day of the
opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica – and November
20, 2016, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the
Universe, which will conclude the Holy Year. Between these two dates
a calendar of various events is being developed.

“In order to avoid any
misunderstanding, it is important to reiterate that this Jubilee of
Mercy is not and does not intend to be the Great Jubilee Year of
2000. Therefore, any comparisons lack validity, for every Holy Year
possesses its own unique nature and aims. It is the Pope’s desire
that this Jubilee be celebrated in Rome as well as in the local
Churches; this will give due focus to the life of individual Churches
and their needs, in such a way that the initiatives will not place an
extra burden on local Churches, but will blend into their calendars
and usual activities very naturally. Also, for the first time in the
history of the Jubilee tradition, there will be an opportunity for
individual dioceses to open a Holy Door – the Door of Mercy –
either in the Cathedral or in a church of special significance or a
shrine of particular importance for pilgrimages. Similarly, it is
easy to cull other characteristics from the Bull of Indiction that
will make this Jubilee unique. From the very beginning, however, the
call to mercy breaks with the traditional pattern. The history of
Jubilees has been marked by their occurrence every 50 or 25 years.
The two Extraordinary Jubilees fell on anniversaries of Christ’s
redemptive act (1933, 1983). This Jubilee, however, is based upon a
theme. It will build upon the central content of the faith and
intends to call the Church once again to its missionary priority of
being a sign and witness in every aspect of its pastoral life. I also
have in mind Pope Francis’ appeal to Judaism and Islam as loci in
which to contextualise the theme of mercy in order to foster dialogue
and a way of overcoming difficulties in the public realm. We must
also not forget another original characteristic of this Jubilee,
namely, the designation of Missionaries of Mercy. Pope Francis will
give them their mandate on Ash Wednesday during the celebration in
St. Peter’s Basilica. The Missionaries must be patient priests,
possessing an understanding of human frailty but ready to express the
loving kindness of the Good Shepherd in their preaching and in the
Sacrament of Confession. However, I would rather not spend too much
time on these general questions, because it is important now to
explain some of the specifics pertaining to the organisation of the
Holy Year.

“We begin with the logo which
represents a summa theologiae of the theme of mercy and the motto
which accompanies it. The motto Merciful Like the Father (from the
Gospel of Luke, 6:36) serves as an invitation to follow the merciful
example of the Father who asks us not to judge or condemn but to
forgive and to give love and forgiveness without measure. The logo is
the work of Father Marko I. Rupnik. It is an image quite important to
the early Church: that of the Son having taken upon His shoulders the
lost soul, demonstrating that it is Christ's love that brings to
completion the mystery of His incarnation culminating in redemption.
The logo has been designed in such a way so as to express the
profound way in which the Good Shepherd touches the flesh of humanity
and does so with a love that has the power to change one’s life.
One particular feature worthy of note is that while the Good
Shepherd, in His great mercy, takes humanity upon Himself, His eyes
are merged with those of man. Christ sees with the eyes of Adam, and
Adam with the eyes of Christ. Every person discovers in Christ, the
new Adam, his or her own humanity and the future that lies ahead. The
scene is enclosed in a mandorla, an element typical of ancient and
medieval iconography, that recalls the coexistence of the two
natures, divine and human, in Christ. The three concentric ovals,
with colours progressively lighter as we move outward, suggest the
movement of Christ Who carries humanity out of the darkness of sin
and death. Conversely, the depth of the darker colour suggests the
impenetrability of the love of the Father Who forgives all.

“The logo has been registered in the
international forum in order to safeguard its rights and to prevent
any inappropriate use. It is obvious that permission must be granted
by the Pontifical Council for any non-religious use of the logo and
that any infringement will be duly prosecuted.

“The calendar of celebrations is to
be read from three perspectives. First, some events are being
organised which most likely will involve large crowds of people. We
wanted the first event, which will be held from January 19-21, to be
dedicated to all those involved with the organisation of pilgrimages.
It will symbolically emphasise that the Holy Year is a true
pilgrimage and should be lived as such. We will ask pilgrims to make
a journey on foot, preparing themselves to pass through the Holy Door
in a spirit of faith and devotion. It will be essential to prepare
those working in the travel industry sector to go beyond the sphere
of tourism, because they will be the first to provide assistance to
pilgrims.

“We thought it would be important to
gather together believers who live in a particular way the experience
of mercy. It is for this reason that, on April 3, we will have a
celebration for those who in various ways are inspired by a charism
of mercy (movements, associations, and religious institutes). On
September 4, charitable volunteers will gather from all over the
world. A volunteer is a dynamic witness of someone who lives the
works of mercy in its various expressions and deserves to be
celebrated in this special way. Similarly,for those who are inspired
in a particular way by Mary, there will be a special day on October 9
to celebrate her as the Mother of Mercy. There will be a number of
events dedicated particularly to youth, who upon receiving the
Sacrament of Confirmation are called to profess their faith. For
those between the ages of 13 and 16, for whom there are few
opportunities for involvement within the ordinary pastoral life of
the Church, we have reserved the date of April 24, as World Youth
Day, which will be held in Krakow from July 26-31, is geared toward
youth of an older age bracket.

“Another event will be for deacons
who by their vocation and ministry are called to preside in works of
charity in the life of the Christian community. Their Jubilee will be
held on May 29.On June 3, which marks the 160th anniversary of the
Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, there will be a Jubilee
celebration for priests. On September 25 there will be the Jubilee of
catechists who,in transmitting the life of faith, support Christian
communities and, in particular, our parishes in a decisive way. On
June 12, we will have a large gathering for the sick and disabled, as
well as for those who care for them with such love and dedication. On
November 6, we will celebrate the Jubilee for those in prison. This
will be held not only in prisons but we have been studying the
possibility of giving many of those in prison the opportunity to
celebrate their own Holy Year with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s
Basilica.

“Secondly, there will significant
efforts to enact Pope Francis vision and witness of reaching out to
those on the existential 'peripheries' of society, in order to give a
direct testimony to the Church’s affinity and care for the poor,
the suffering, the marginalised, and all those who need a sign of
tenderness. These moments will have a symbolic meaning, but we will
also ask bishops and priests to perform in their own dioceses similar
symbolic gestures of communion with Pope Francis so that everyone may
receive a concrete sign of the Church’s ministry of mercy and
closeness. As a concrete sign of the Pope’s charitable love, which
is an essential component of this Jubilee, effective measures will be
taken to meet real needs in the world that will express mercy through
tangible assistance.

“Thirdly, we must meet the needs of
the many pilgrims who will come alone to Rome apart from any
organised tour or tour group. For these individuals, there will be a
number of churches in the historic centre of Rome where they will
feel welcome, where they can have moments of reflective prayer and
prepare themselves thoroughly to walk through the Holy Door in an
atmosphere of genuine spiritual devotion. All the pilgrims who will
come to Rome, however, will have a privileged route through which to
walk through the Holy Door. This is necessary in order to ensure that
the event is lived in a religious way, safe from any climate of abuse
that can easily confront millions of people making a pilgrimage to
Christian holy sites.

“The official website for the Jubilee
has already been launched: www.iubilaeummisericordiae.va, and can be
accessed also at www.im.va. The site is available in seven languages:
Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Polish. On
the site you will find official information regarding the calendar of
the major public events, information for participating in the events
with the Holy Father, and all of the official communications
regarding the Jubilee. Also, through the site,dioceses will be able
to receive information and pastoral suggestions, register pilgrimage
groups, andrelay to us their local diocesan projects. The website
uses a number of social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Google Plus and Flickr) through which we will be able to provide
updates on the Holy Father’s initiative and follow in real time the
major events as they take place. We have also been studying the
possibility of an app with which to better integrate all this
information”.

Archbishop Fisichella concluded, “We
are convinced that the path of mercy on which Pope Francis has placed
the Church in this journey of the Jubilee will be a moment of true
grace for all Christians and a reawakening to the path of the new
evangelisation and the pastoral conversion the Pope has indicated. As
Pope Francis wrote: 'In this Jubilee Year, may the Church echo the
word of God that resounds strong and clear as a message and a sign of
pardon, strength, aid, and love. May she never tire of extending
mercy, and be ever patient in offering compassion and comfort. May
the Church become the voice of every man and woman, and repeat
confidently without end: Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and your
steadfast love, for they have been from of old'”.

Vatican City, 5 May 2015 (VIS) –
Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the
Oriental Churches, concluded his visit to Iraq at a meeting of the
bishops of the country with the entities that form the Roaco
(Riunione Opere Aiuto Chiese Orientali”, “Reunion of Aid Agencies
for the Oriental Churches”) in Erbil.

The cardinal, in his second trip to
Iraq, brought Pope Francis' blessing to Iraqi Christians and
transmitted the acknowledgement and encouragement of the Authorities
for their work in the difficult current context of Iraq in favour of
Christians, other minorities and those who suffer as a result of the
violence. From 1 to 3 May Cardinal Sandri visited Baghdad where he
celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Joseph
and lunched with refugees assisted by various ecclesial institutions.
In Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, he met with the Roaco
delegation which is planning aid projects in various areas of
pastoral life and in the assistance of refugees.

In his final address to the bishops in
Erbil, the cardinal referred to the “signs of light” he had seen
in the Churches of Iraq during his visit: “The liturgy, the hymns,
the trust in Mary, but above all the splendour of charity, through
ordinary works and those linked to the various forms of welcome and
pastoral assistance to displaced and persecuted people. I have
encountered first hand the heroic dedication of the many priests who
are truly good pastors, who do not flee and who stay beside their
flock; I have been moved by the profound communion that precedes any
theological discussion – although the latter is necessary – and
any other form of ecumenical agreement, when priests of different
Christian churches wish well to each other and, along with the
laypeople, organise aid activities for displaced persons, or guide
educational paths in schools and parishes. It is also good to see the
collaboration that the various agencies of the Roaco have offered in
the planning and implementation phases for the good of all of you”.

“You are all members of the Synods of
the respective patriarchal Churches”, he affirmed, addressing the
bishops. “Along with the patriarchs and in communion with them,
seek to ensure that the ecclesial body grows with collaboration at
every juncture. And I add: especially in this time of difficulty in
Iraq, ever deeper communion is needed between the Churches. I hope
that this may occur between the Chaldean and Syro-Catholic Churches,
which represent the majority, and between these two and the smaller
Churches. Let us reject any form of isolation or self-referentiality,
and I invite you to recognise and enhance the value of the assembly
of Catholic bishops of Iraq and the assembly in which you gather with
your brethren in the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Indeed, ensure that
the logic of majority and minority that is causing so much harm to
the country does not have repercussions within the confines of the
Church, although I am sure that this danger is far removed from
reality”.

Cardinal Sandri concluded his address
by invoking the protection of Our Lady and of St. Peter for Pope
Francis, “always so close to the Christians of the Middle East and
to all those who are persecuted”, and for their Beatitudes the
Patriarchs Louis Raphael I Sako of the Chaldean Catholic Church, and
Ignatius Joseph III Younan of the Syro-Catholic Church.